Inking mechanism.



R. HOE.

'INKING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR.24. 1915.

1,185,658. v PatentedJune6,1916.

Q- I I I mum atom M42 ROBERT HOE, 9F BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN.

INKING MECHANISM.

Application filed April 24,

'10 all whom it may concern Be known that I, Honour Hon, a citizen ofthe United. States, residing at Battle Creek, in the count y of Calhounand State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements ininking Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to inking mechanism for printing presses. 7

One object of the invention is to provide a pressure system for thefeeding of ink.

Another object is to provide a circulating supply system for the inkingmechanism.

Another object is to provide a system in AlilCll the inking mechanismmay be easily cleaned or in which the color of the ink may be readilychanged; and still other objects will appear in the followingdescription and appended claims 7 Referring to the drawing: Figure 1 isan end elevation, pirtly in section of the improved mechanism; and Fig.2 is a longitudinal elevation partly in section of the ink containertaken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

To reduce the inking mechanism to its simplest form an d to keep the inkin as good a condition as possible, the invention embodies means forsupplying the ink under pressure in a closed conduit, and maintaining itin circulation in the conduit under any desired prcssurc so that the inkis at all times thoroi-lgiily mixed and is supplied to the inkingmechanism in any quantity required.

As shcwu in Fig. 1, the ink may be stored in a supplytank aS at throughwhich it is drmvn by )ump 11 through a pipe 12 and a port in tour wayvalve 13. The inkis delivered from. the pump at the outlet 14 through aconduit 15 into the sealed ink container 16. It passes through thiscontainer to conduit 17, through a pressure regulator 18 pipe 15) three\vayvalvc 20 and pipe 21 back into the ink supply tank 10. The pump isdri \"QII by any suitable mechanism and in the arraigcment shown, theactuation of the pump causes a continual circulation of ink through theink container the ink beingmainta'iued under a pressure in the inkcontainer that is regulated by the adjustment of the pressure valve 18.

The ink may be drawn from the container 16 and delivered to thedistributing roll 22 by any suitable mechanism. The particular mechanismherein disclosed, described and claimed. in a copending application,Serial Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1.916.

1915. Serial No. 23,569.

I Number 1298, filed February 15, 1915, comprises a the ink through anda valve located within the port 23 is actuated by means of a plunger 25which is" reciprocated by a cam 26 mounted upon a rotating shaft 27-. Aseries of these devices,

valve body 23 communicating with container 16 and with a duct 2i one foreach column, is provided in order that the ink may be fed'in columns tothe distributing roll .22. I

ln the arrangementdescribed, the ink is kept tree from contact with theair, and

until the time it is delivered to the distributmg roll, it is kept incontinual movement so tlnit at all times it is uniformly mixed. Thisarrangement not only permits the delivery of ink under the mostfavorable conditions,

but it also permits the ready cleaning of the inking mechanism or of achange inthe color or character of the ink. F or this purposeextrasupply tanks with suitable connections to the pump 11 may beprovided, one of such tanks being shown in the figure at 30. A

pipe 31 connects this tank with the' four way valve 13 and a. secondpipe 32 connects the tank with the three Way valve 20. 1f the four wayvalve 13 be turned to close the passage 12 and to place the suction sideof the pump in communication with the air, the pump will force all ofthe ink from the pipes and system back into tank 10. As shown in Fig. 2,the inlet 15 into the ink container 16 and the outlet 17 are so locatedwith respect to each other that the ink in the container is displaced byair which is pumped into the container so that a few strokcsoi' the pumpwill drive all of the ink out of the system. If tank 30 be filled withbenzin, or other cleaning fluid, and the four way valve 13 be thenadjusted so that pipe 31 connects with pump 11 and valve 20 be adjustedso that pipes 32 and 19 are "in com:

munication with each other, then the actuation of the pump will cause acut'sent of benzi n to flow through the system wh ith will work throughthe valve body 23 and ports in the inking mechanism, dissolving andrennoving any hard or cakcd deposit of inkfOB that may have beendeposited in any parts of the apparatus, and Will carry such ink back tothe tank 30. It will be seen by? this arrangement that all that isnecessary to do to clean the entire inking mechanism of the press is tomanipulate valves 13 and'2Q as described, keeping the pump 11ingactuation,

which the ink passes to the roll 22, 60

the cleaning being accomplished conveniently in a very short space oftime, and without disturbing the press. It is obvious that if tank 30 befilled with a different ink than tank 10, thearrangement provides aquick and easy method of changing the color or kind of irik delivered bythe mechanism. It is also obvious that other tanks may be likewise"connected to the system so as to supply, other inks as desired.

'Yclaim:

1. In an inking mechanism for printing presses, a system comprising anink container, equipped with ink delivery plungers, a supply tank, apump, and connections between .the said container, tank and pump,whereby a continuous flow of ink may be maintained through the system.

2. In an inking mechanism for printing presses, a system comprising anink container equipped with ink delivery plungers and adapted to holdink under pressure, a

supply tank, a pump, and connections between the said container, tank,and pump, whereby a continuous flow of ink may be maintained through thesystem.

3. In an inking mechanism for printing presses, an ink container, aplurality of independent supply tanks, av pump and conduit fordelivering ink to the container, and means 'for placing the pump incommunication with any of the respective tanks.

4. In combination, an inking mechanism, a plurality of independentsupply tanks, a pump and conduit for delivering ink to said mechanismand means for placing the pump in communication with any of therespective tanks.

5. In an inking mechanism for printing presses, a system comprising anink container adapted to hold ink under pressure, a plurality of supplytanks, connections between the container, pump, and the respectivetanks, whereby a continuous flow of ink may be maintained through thecontainer,

I the pump, and any one of said tanks.

6. In an inking mechanism for printing presses, a system comprising anink container equipped with ink delivery plun-,

gers and adapted to hold ink under pressure, a supply-tank, a pressureregulator, a pump, and connections between the container, pump, tank,and regulator whereby a continuous flow of ink under a predeterminedpressure is maintained through the container.

7. In an inking mechanism for printing presses, an ink container, inkingdevices comprising plungers for drawing ink from' the container and thetank.

ROBERT HOE,

